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Wordle today starts with ‘H’, ends with ‘T’, and has two vowels.
The word functions as both a verb and a noun, referring to the act of lifting or the machinery used to do so.
The NYT Wordle answer for February 19, 2026, is HOIST, a word that will remind you of nautical or construction settings.
NYT Wordle today for February 19 (Thursday) is all about testing your mechanical intuition. While most players spend their first few guesses chasing down the usual suspects like 'D' and 'E', today's puzzle is about heavy lifting with vowel-with-vowel structure. If you have ever watched a flag being raised or cargo being moved by a crane, you have already seen today's solution in action.
Let’s break down the clues and look at an expert approach to turn today’s Wordle grid green! Bonus: Check the bottom of the article for the historical ‘explosive’ origin of this word.
Ready to win? Use these clues to narrow down your options before I reveal the answer:
1. Legendary raspy-voiced singer Tom Waits has a famous, gritty song titled ‘____ That Rag.’
2. Wordle answer today rhymes with words like ‘moist’ or ‘joist’.
3. You might ___ a flag up a pole.
Here is the tactical play-by-play walkthrough to help you solve today's puzzle:
First Guess: RAISE- This is a top-tier starting word to flush out vowels. You will find two green letters, 'I' and 'S'.
Second Guess: SIGHT- Now we fish for 'H', 'G', and 'T'. This is a massive hit! The 'H' turns yellow and 'T' lights up green. Let’s figure out the first two letters of today’s puzzle.
Third Guess: HOSTS- The ‘H’ and 'O' fills the first and second slot, and you can rule out ‘T’ from the fourth position.
Mistakes to Avoid: Don’t assume repeating letters, there are none. Avoid ignoring ‘H’ as a starting letter. Many players test vowels first and forget common starting consonants like ‘H’ or ‘S’. Pay attention to letter positioning, especially for the vowels. When you see H _ _ _ T, it's easy to waste guesses on ‘HORSE’ or ‘HAUNT.’ If your first guess rules out those vowels, move immediately to the 'OI' or 'OU' combinations.
You have already found all five letters of today’s solution. If their correct placement still eludes you, scroll down!
The answer to Wordle #1706 is HOIST.
The word HOIST has some fascinating layers to its history:
Nautical Beginnings: The word evolved from the Middle Dutch hisen around the 15th century, according to The American Heritage Dictionary. It originally entered the English language as ‘hoise.’ Over time, the past tense ‘hoisted’ was used so frequently that people eventually adopted ‘hoist’ as the base form of the word.
Bomb Explosion: You’ve likely heard the phrase ‘hoist with one's own petard.’ It actually refers to someone being blown up (lifted into the air) by their own explosive device. In medieval warfare, a ‘petard’ was a small bomb used to breach gates.
Coding Optimization: In JavaScript and other programming languages, ‘hoisting’ is a behavior where variable and function declarations are moved to the top of their containing scope during the compilation phase. Even in the digital world, the word is used to describe ‘lifting’ something to the top!
Pirate’s Command: If you were on a 17th-century galleon, the captain might scream this word right before raising the ‘Jolly Roger’ flag. For example, one of the experts from The Hindu report reads, “Jolly Roger—the flag of Monkey D. Luffy and his fictional crew—had been hoisted beside doorways, pinned to the backs of vehicles, and flown in place of the national red and white.”
Also Read: NYT Wordle Answer Today for February 18, 2026: Hints and Expert Walkthrough Revealed
Today’s puzzle was a rewarding exercise in consonant placement. The 'OI' vowel combo can sometimes be a streak killer. However, the common 'H' and 'T' anchors provided enough structure for most players to find their way. HOIST was a fun challenge that rewarded players who paid close attention to structure and letter balance.
Also Read: Today’s Quordle Hints and Answers for Feb 19, 2026
